retirement – Destination NOW

Borneo

We all have heard about the work of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, but how many of us know that Louis Leakey had a THIRD woman researching the big apes? I sure didn’t. Jane Goodall focused on chimpanzees, while Dian Fossey researched gorillas. Biruté Galdikas was the third member of Leakey’s “Trimates”, studying the orangutans in Borneo.

Maybe we don’t know about her because her name is more difficult to spell, pronounce and remember? Anyway, OAT listed her book “Reflections of Eden” as a suggested reading. Because it was published in 1995, my local library didn’t have a copy, so I ordered it from Thrift Books for $12.49. (If you are interested in seeing what Thrift Books provides, just click on the link— the underlined words).

It is a wonderful book! If you are interested in what on site researchers go through, she tells all: the fevers, the mud, the rashes, the disappointments and triumphs, in an engaging and entertaining way.

Although Eros, our local guide, explained a lot about orangutan behavior, I was glad to have read about it earlier in Biruté’s well written book.

We started the pretrip to Borneo, leaving the hotel at 4:15 AM for our 6 AM flight to Pangkalan Bun. From there, we drove to the river, then boarded a Klotok ( which is a traditional Indonesian riverboat) that took us to our very rustic ecolodge.

Widi is a master at managing expectations. He prepared us for flight delays ( which didn’t happen) then told us our ecolodge is simultaneously the best and the worst lodging in the area, simply because it is the ONLY lodging in the area! We spent two nights there, but all our meals were served on the river boat.

Our first orangutan encounter was at Tanjung Puting National Park. When we arrived at this popular spot, we learned that we would have to climb through FIVE other riverboats to get to the park.

My sister Sue will recall our jumping from fishing boat to fishing boat in our younger days. Let me tell ya, it was a whole lot easier when I was 12 years old! Still, we all did great. I was completely impressed by 90 year old Arthur, who navigated the boats like a champ.

Next, we walked a little less than a mile to the feeding station, over a well maintained, flat path through the jungle. The only hazard were the many tree roots that could trip you up if you weren’t paying attention. I had my eyes on the road ahead and for once, made it back and forth without falling.

Was it worth getting up at 3AM? Hell yeah.

This lovely lady high in a nearby tree watched us watching the other orangutans on the feeding platform.

And what a show they put on! Here are a couple of them behaving like boys of all species.

It reminded me of my Rwanda trip where we watched as twin brother gorillas wrestled on the ground. However, in Rwanda, we were able to get MUCH closer to the primates. BUT, we had to hike two hours through the jungle to get there, and it was NOT on a well maintained trail. Plus we were only able to visit ONCE for an hour, whereas in Borneo, we made THREE visits to feeding stations on three different days.

Our second visit was to the preserve that Biruté and her husband established in the early ‘70s. It was named in honor of her mentor, Louis Leakey.

Once again, we had to climb through multiple boats to get to land. THIS time we walked on a “boardwalk” part of the way. Good thing we didn’t get too complacent. It was even more hazardous than the tree roots because some of the boards were loose, others had rotted areas, with holes and huge gaps between them. This was the BEST stretch. It got progressively worse.

Once we arrived at the feeding station, we were able to watch our first adult male (Nova) as he leisurely devoured bananas.

No one else approached while he was there, EXCEPT his girlfriend with her baby. Could he have been the dad? Who knows?

It just so happened that our final orangutan visit, to Pondok Tangui, was the very best of the trip. On the way to the feeding station, I was glad I’d brought my binoculars with me, because to be able to watch orangutans swinging from the treetops was pretty spectacular. No photos, only the visuals imprinted on my brain.

When we arrived at the feeding station, we realized that Atlas, the alpha male, decided to mingle with the peons (us) before consuming his brunch. He was so near, I was able to get this close up. Although initially I thought it would be challenging to tell the orangutans apart, after viewing photos of Nova and Atlas, I realized there are significant differences between these alpha males. Can YOU tell who’s who?

We were able to get pretty close to the big guy before he ambled over to the feeding platform.

Although Atlas dominated the feeding platform, keeping other males away, he was willing to share bananas with these monkeys.

We met with one of the rangers who explained that before he became the alpha male, Atlas hung out with these Macaque monkeys in the jungle, so they all became friends.

I have enough videos and photos of these fascinating primates to make your eyes roll back into your head, so I’ll stop with this photo of a mother and child, sharing a tender moment in a nearby tree. Using my binoculars I was able to watch them kissing, but wasn’t fast enough to capture it with my iPhone, so this will have to do.

Tomorrow we return to Jakarta to meet 8 more travelers that will be joining us on the main trip.

Indonesia

Remember that line of bull that they give new mothers about how you forget the pain of giving birth once you hold your baby in your arms? Yeah. That didn’t happen. I still can vividly remember that pain. But it sure works for travel. Once I arrive at my destination, I forget all about the long plane rides, the jet lag, and any difficulties I’ve encountered along the way. I’m just so thrilled to reach my destination!

Okay , so business class on Singapore Airlines was definitely NOT a hardship, but it STILL took nineteen LONG hours. After that I had to change planes for a two hour flight from Singapore to Jakarta on Scoot Airlines. When I booked the flight, I was concerned about having only 1 1/2 hours to change planes, but the airport was super efficient, so I even had time to brush my teeth before I boarded.

As usual, I initially purchased airfare from OAT, knowing that as long as I notified them at least 90 days before departure, I could cancel the airfare portion and get a full refund. The routing they offered had me departing on Saturday, arriving on Monday and involved multiple plane changes, so I decided to see if I could do better. Fortunately, my travel buddy, Jeanne, has a nephew who works in Singapore. He suggested I try Singapore Airlines, which I did. I got affordable business class, and was able to shave hours off my travel time, leaving a day later (Sunday) and arriving Monday night.

Normally, for a trip like this, I would do only carry-on. Unlike trips involving more than one climate, this time I only need to pack hot weather clothes, which are lightweight and much smaller than winter clothes. However, the Friends of Overseas Adventure Facebook group recommended bringing along a hiking stick, and mentioned that it might not be allowed as a carry-on. (It is left to the discretion of the TSA agent whether or not to confiscate the hiking stick). I decided not to take the chance.

Well, since I’m checking luggage anyway, I’m packing significantly more than I ordinarily would. For example, I’m bringing along a travel hairdryer, just in case some hotels have those horrible ones that are attached to the wall.

The allowance for checked luggage with Singapore Airlines is quite generous—88 pounds for checked. For carry-on I’m allowed two bags weighing 15 pounds each. Even with overpacking, I’m coming in WAY below ( 32 pounds checked and 12 for my ONE carry on). We shall see if I forgot something essential, although according to my check list, I’ve packed everything and then some.

So, how was business class with Singapore Air? It was worth every penny! As my friend Beth one told me, “ if you don’t fly business class, your kid will.” So I’m happily spending my son’s inheritance, with his complete support and encouragement.

The service on Singapore Airlines was excellent, the food was great, and the seats were super comfortable. The best part—like United’s Polaris flights, every seat had aisle access, so no need to climb over a fellow passenger to get to the bathroom.

The “lay flat” seats were not as easy to operate as United’s. You have to get up, pull the seat back forward and do other things to get your bed made. A flight attendant made up my bed, so I have no idea what “other things” she did! I chose a window seat on the left, which had me sleeping with my head facing the aisle, and my feet by the window, on an angle.

I had to move the orange bags and water bottle to make room for my feet. Fortunately, there was plenty of storage space for my “stuff”.

Although Singapore Airlines provides noise canceling headsets, they are NOT as effective as my Bose, so I’m definitely using my own on the return flight.

I was glad that I packed an adapter, because without it, I would have been unable to charge my electronics. The plugs required a European style C adapter.

Everything I read told me to avoid alcohol because doing so would help me fall asleep. Although I took an Ambien, and didn’t partake in the departure champagne, I wasn’t able to fall asleep so I figured what the hell, I’m having wine with dinner.

Before I left home, I had done an E-visa and gotten my arrival card on line, so I was able to go directly to passport control, but being me, I went the wrong way. ( my sister Sue will be thinking , “ at least she consistent” when she reads this ) I had walked a considerable distance before an airport worker stopped me and pointed in the opposite direction. Somehow she could tell I am not Indonesian and I needed to go through immigration.

The Jakarta airport is HUGE! Although because I purchased my own airfare, technically my trip leader didn’t have to meet me at the airport. Therefore, I was surprised and pleased to get this WhatsApp message from Widi when I arrived.

Okay, so I’ll admit to being a bit spacey even when I’m NOT jet lagged, but try as I might, I couldn’t find him —Not even with that visual aid. Turns out, HE was in terminal 2 and I was in terminal 3. The airline had changed terminals but never updated the information.

Eventually we found each other, got on the shuttle and made our way to the gorgeous Sheraton.

Tonight we will have a group dinner, where I will meet the 3 couples who will be traveling to Borneo with Laurie and me tomorrow.

Today is going to be a pool day, where I will ( I hope) completely shake off any remnants of jet lag.

Bolzano

Although Mike and I visited Bolzano in 2018, I had absolutely no memory of anything except Otzi, the Iceman. And because I wasn’t traveling solo back then, I didn’t blog as often, — Mike tended to distract me —so I couldn’t even consult my “on-line” trip journal.

So, I’ll just have to wait till I get back home to see whether the photos on my computer jog my memory. Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose.

This time, the trip to Bolzano included a morning stop in the lovely village of Monza where the Carabinieri were having some sort of a convention.

The main attraction was supposed to be (what else?) the Monza Cathedral, which houses the iron crown that was used for Charlemagne’s coronation. The Italian policemen were an unexpected bonus.

This is a replica. The real deal is locked up below.

So what makes this crown so special? Well, in 324 AD, St Helena, mother of Charlemagne, traveled to the Holy Land. The enterprising locals quickly recognized an opportunity to make a few shekels, so they told this gullible woman that they found a nail that was used to crucify Jesus (in their grandpa’s attic, no doubt). Oh, and by the way, if she wanted—and had enough money—she could also purchase a piece of the cross on which Jesus hung. (She did. It is a relic someplace else—I forget where).

The centuries old nail was melted down and made a part of the interior of the crown. No photos of the relic were allowed, but that’s okay, because the crown made it into the cathedral’s brochure.

Must have been a really big nail to circle the interior of the crown. Something tells me it will never be carbon dated.

Theolinda’s chapel was totally covered with visually impressive frescoes, but photos were only allowed to be taken at a distance, outside the chapel.

Who was Theolinda, you ask? Well the frescoes tell the story of her life. She was a Bavarian princess, who outlived her two Lombard husbands ( no small feat, back then). There is more to her story than that, but I’ve forgotten the details. Supposedly, she is buried in that chapel.

It wouldn’t be a Catholic house of worship without an image of a gruesome death, and this cathedral was no exception: John the Baptist’s severed head was prominently displayed.

We had time between our cathedral tour and lunch, to explore Monza. Here are a few of our sights.

It’s a good thing that the morning was so delightful, because we spent the remainder of the day stuck in traffic, arriving at our hotel around 9PM.

We were lucky that our bus was super comfortable, we all had our entertainment centers (otherwise known as cellphones) and all bus seats had charging ports. Plus, we pulled into a comfort station to load up on snacks when it became apparent that we needed to cancel our dinner reservation. Fortunately, everyone rolled with it, without complaining.

As usual, we started our day with a local guide who pointed out what makes Bolzano special. Our tour ended at the archaeological museum, where we could visit Otzi. Although the iceman was fascinating, Susan and I had already seen him, so we chose to roam the streets of Bolzano instead.

Though we only two nights in Bolzano, we packed a lot into our brief visit, including a hike on the Freud Promenade. To get there, we had to take a train that strongly resembled NYC mass transit during rush hour, which was definitely not a highlight. Like everything else in life, when you travel ya gotta take the good with the bad.

But the NEXT part of our journey more than made up for the crowded train ride. This fabulous gondola provided 360 degree views of the beautiful countryside.

The walk was lovely, the weather was perfect, and by the time we finished, we had worked up quite an appetite.

Once again, Luca chose a fantastic restaurant, where we were served our choice of three courses. I had delicious barbecued ribs, and ended up so full, I began to wonder whether I’m going to exceed my usual five trip pounds gain!

Our next stop will be in San Candido. I sure hope the weather report continues to be wrong, because it is predicting rain for all three days that we are there.

Biella, Italy

What?! You never heard of Biella? Before this trip, neither had I. That’s one of the many reasons I choose to travel with OAT. Their itineraries include places I didn’t know I wanted to visit until I got there.

Our hotel, the Agora Palace, is across the street from a beautiful park. Unlike the USA, Biella has public sources of pure mountain water, like this one, from which you can fill your water bottle.

Also near our hotel is a small mall with a grocery store and an inexpensive clothing shop. Because the weather has been unseasonably warm, and we were ALL expecting cold temperatures, most of us went shopping for lightweight clothes. For 30 Euros, I got a tee shirt, shorts and a long skirt. I wasn’t crazy about the slit in the long skirt, but that’s all Piazza Italia had in stock. (That’s the name of the store).

Before we arrived, Luca explained Biella is a quiet town, without much going on, so we were a little surprised when we encountered this:

Turns out, an “old car” race with over 100 cars was taking place that night. We were a little puzzled by the cars departing one at a time, but we learned it was a TIMED race, and unlike most “races” , the speed was not the point. It was actually an opportunity to show off your old car. Supposedly, the race went on all night!

Babes, band & cars — in a “sleepy” town??

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were unable to visit the ice cave in Chamonix, so Luca negotiated with the OAT office to replace THAT activity with vermouth tasting at a historic bar.

We were all quite delighted with the change in activities!

Our second day in Biella started with a guided tour of the city’s highlights, namely churches, including this baptistry.

We’ve all seen churches, and the remainder looked like every other church I’ve visited, so I took no photos.

We then hopped onto a bus, which whisked us up to the old section of Biella, where we toured La Palazzo La Marmora. Here’s another reason I love OAT. The palace is normally closed on Sunday, but it was opened just for us.

Our guide, the marquis, was a member of the illustrious family, whose tree adorned the dining room wall.

To say the artwork and antiques were interesting would be an understatement.

The matriarch who commissioned the following family portrait gave birth to 16 children. The girls all moved away after marriage, so the artist had to visit the homes of the daughters to create “sketches” that he later incorporated into the portrait. Of course, the gathering of all surviving children portrayed in the painting never occurred. (Was this the forerunner of Photoshop or AI?)

I thought I could figure out who was who by matching the clothing, but apparently the artist preferred different outfits.

The 4 sons on the upper right were all generals in the Crimean war. So what do you do when a cannonball almost kills you? Why, if you are a member of nobility, you bring it home, melt it down and recycle it into a chair.

One final example of the artwork, before we move on.

For some unknown reason, the marquis didn’t point out this mural on the dining room wall. Perhaps he didn’t want to have to explain what his ancestors were thinking about while they were munching on their Cheerios?

After the tour, most of the group chose to take an optional cooking class, but Susan and I decided to skip it. Instead, we had lunch in upper Biella at the “Hasta La Polenta” restaurant. How could we resist a restaurant sporting a plaque that said ( in Italian) “Ernest Hemingway never was here”?

I absolutely LOVE the Italian sense of humor. Take a look at the English translations on their menu.

Of course, after our entree, we HAD to have dessert. Here’s Susan, showing off her selection.

After our wonderfully filling lunch, Susan and I worked off some of our dessert by walking back to the hotel.

By then it was time to get ready for a “home hosted” dinner with Marcelo and Claudia in their historical home, built in the 1800’s.

Our group of 14 split up to have dinner with 3 different families.

For final day we visited a cheese farm, to partake in what OAT calls “A day in the life”. As the name suggests, OAT travelers are given an opportunity to experience the area’s daily life. The best part? We walked part of the way there — and the weather was perfect!

We all got a chance to “make” cheese, while we learned more about Elisa, our host. Although she has a degree in economics, Elisa decided she preferred to take over her grandparents’ cheese making business.

OAT group at a Day in the Life, with our hosts

We ended the day with a visit to (what else) the church complex at Oropa.

This “new” church was built for a papal visit

The original church incorporated this rock into its wall, presenting the perfect backdrop for yet another group photo.

Dinner was on our own, so four of us went for pizza at Doppio Zero. It was very good, but very different.

Next stop Lugano, Switzerland.

The Alps with OAT

Okay, so plan A was to spend most of the month of May on the OAT trip to Azerbaijan and Turkey, but when OAT canceled the pre-tip to Azerbaijan because of its proximity to Iran, I decided it was time to activate Plan B. Turkey ALSO shares a small part of its eastern border with Iran, and because US leadership is wildly unpredictable these days, I decided not to take a chance. It’s too bad, because I was really looking forward to travel with my buddy Janis. Maybe we will travel to Turkey in the future, once things settle down.

I was really lucky to discover OAT’s Alpine Europe trip was not only deeply discounted, but it also had single availability AND the timing was perfect. This particular departure offers neither pre nor post trips, but that suited me just fine.

Ignore those boxes on the map at the top of this post. Instead, follow the red arrows. I flew into Geneva a day before the tour starts, got picked up at the airport and driven to Chamonix, a small town at the base of Mont Blanc, about an hour away. Eventually 18 days later I will end up in Innsbruck, Austria.

There are 14 of us on this trip, 4 couples, and 6 singles. We are already a very congenial group, with 12 of us choosing to have dinner together for what was supposed to be an “on your own” night.

Luca, our trip leader, took this “selfie”

The restaurant Luca chose, The Rose du Pont, is located right by the river, which winds thru the center of Chamonix.

Earlier that day, I had hiked along the river walk and saw that I could have booked a river rafting trip,

or gone paragliding, had I planned ahead.

Only joking…walking along the river is as adventurous as I get these days.

In the afternoon, I took advantage of the pool and whirlpool. The outdoor hot tub and sauna were being cleaned today, so I wasn’t able to use them, but we have another full day here, so maybe.

I’ll end the first day of our tour with two night shots. The first is of four of the “single ladies”, with Mont Blanc clearly visible behind us.

The second is the night view from my balcony.

Departing from Buenos Aires

When we traveled to Antarctica in 2011, we went via Santiago. This time, I am flying to Ushuaia through Buenos Aires.

My journey started in Newark. I was amazed at how empty Newark’s airport was. I left home slightly before 11 AM; by 11:50 I had checked my bag, been through security, changed into my Houston/Buenos Aires clothes in the Polaris lounge bathroom and was enjoying the excellent buffet.

My first flight was to Houston. Because I used miles and points to book my flight, I traveled business class for both segments. Let me tell ya, domestic business class isn’t worth it. International business class, however, DEFINITELY is!

I normally sit on the aisle, but for the Houston flight, I had a window seat. Sadly, when the flight attendant attempted to pass me my lunch tray, I managed to knock a full glass of red wine over myself and the very gracious man sitting next to me. But in my defense, the passenger in the seat in front of me had his seat all the way back, so the clearance was really tight.

As luck would have it, my friend Sharmon’s younger daughter, Sol flew from San Francisco to Buenos Aires and we both had a stop in Houston around the same time. We were on the same flight from Houston to Buenos Aires, so we hung out in the United Club. The time went by MUCH faster because we spent the two hour layover catching up.

I almost didn’t recognize Sweet Sol, because the last time I saw her, she had long blondish hair, no glasses, and wasn’t wearing a mask. She pretended not to notice I smelled like the frat house the morning after a wild party. But then again, stale wine doesn’t smell as bad as stale beer.

Because Sol holds dual citizenship, she was able to whisk thru passport control WAY ahead of me. It took over an hour for me to get thru. HELPFUL HINT: if you’re coming to Argentina, visit the bathroom BEFORE getting in the passport control line. Don’t ask how I came to that conclusion. Let’s just say I was jiggling a lot.

I’d been to Buenos Aires twice before, so I didn’t feel compelled to see Evita’s grave or the Opera House. Instead I figured I’d enjoy the beautiful hotel, and I certainly did.

Check out the rooftop pool:

The view was so spectacular, and the pool was so glorious, I used it on Friday AND Saturday.

My son Greg clued me in to the wonders of ChatGPT. So, when I was unable to find any cafes full of people having lunch outside near Alvear Art Hotel, I asked ChatGPT.

I ended up choosing a delightful cafe about a mile away, which allowed me to stroll thru some very interesting streets.

Waiting for the elevator before tonight’s information session, I met Leslie, another solo traveler. Like me, she’s a widow who is comfortable traveling alone. Her cabin will be across the hall from me.

We had a lovely cocktail “hour”. I’ll admit that our table was having so much fun, we had to be asked to leave! And yes, we closed the place down.

Probably a good thing because we have to be on the bus by 7AM tomorrow. I had hoped for a later departure because Buenos Aires is much closer to Ushuaia than Santiago. But nope. Same departure time as it was in 2011.

Who knows whether I’ll have connectivity once I board the ship, so I’m sending this off now.

Yes, indeed, I’m excited and thrilled that I have already discovered such congenial travel mates.

Antarctica

The first time I went to Antarctica was in January of 2011. At that time, my friends thought Mike, Greg and I had completely lost our minds. “WHY in the world would you want to go THERE?” was the most frequent comment we received from friends and family.

Although Mike was retired, Greg and I were employed, so we were limited to a 15 day journey, 10 days with the National Geographic tour and 5 days on our own traveling to and from Santiago via Lima.

THIS time I’m retired, going solo, so I am able to spend 24 days traveling beyond the Antarctic peninsula to the South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Instead of meeting the group in Santiago, I’m traveling to Buenos Aires. As with last time, however, we are flying to Ushuaia where we will board the ship, then sail through the dreaded Drake Passage. (Yes, my doctor gave me an adequate supply of seasickness patches. They worked well last time for me and Greg, not as effective for Mike.)

Photo from 2011, taken at the end of our voyage

So why in the world am I going again?

Where else can you experience creatures so unafraid that they follow YOU?

Where else can you see so many different shades of blue and white?

Or learn about the different seals and penguins living in this frozen wonderland?

But won’t it be cold?

Yes, sometimes it is cold, but National Geographic’s trip cost includes matching parkas for those times. (Laura,one of my trip leaders said “there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing choices”.)

Sometimes it’s warm enough to have a cookout on the back deck wearing just a sweater (and a smile) over your tee shirt.

The best part was traveling with National Geographic experts: Photographers, naturalists, geologists, penguin and whale experts. We would gather in the bar every evening for presentations by those experts, showing us how they spent their day.

The walls of the bar/lounge were covered with big screen TVs so no matter where you sit, you still would have a great view.

Fifteen years ago, our ship was the Explorer. This time, I’ll be sailing on the Endurance, a newer ship serving 126 passengers, with 8 cabins for us traveling solo. I’m not sure how effective the internet is at the bottom of our planet. 15 years ago, I didn’t have a smart phone or a blog so it wasn’t an issue.

I hope you’ll join me on this adventure; I’ll be posting when the spirit moves me and the internet grants me connectivity.

Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Our farewell dinner took place at L’Olvio, the Italian restaurant around the corner from our hotel. The food was great, but this is definitely not a restaurant to frequent if you are in a hurry. It was an hour before our food started to arrive, one dinner at a time. But the food was very good, and luckily, we were not in a rush.

Randy managed to get everyone (except himself) into one photo,

so I fixed that by taking this photo of him with his lovely wife,Cindy. I’m so glad that they are coming on the post trip, along with Mike and Jo-Lynne, Jolene and me.

The start of OAT’s post trip was a little sad, because we had to say goodbye to Esther, Cindy, Edwin, Lee Fa, Phil, Marianne, and Lester.

We will miss them all greatly, but especially Edwin’s superb translation skills, and Phil’s excellent photos. At least we still have Malo, who is an amazing photographer. I’m sure he will miss Edwin the most, because Malo will now have to do ALL the translations…no breaks for him!

Before we posed at the airport, I told Randy I’d hang all over him so he looks like he travels with TWO chicks. Is it my imagination, or does he look a little worried? Cindy was rightfully unconcerned.

I’m glad the 7 of us were the only passengers because the plane was TINY! So how many times do you think I bumped my head?

Our boarding pass was almost as big as the airplane!

Here’s what Mike and Jo-Lynne think about our flight. They were in the second row. Now how did THEY get to be in business class?

Because we were flying so low, we were able to get a spectacular view of Costa Rica, starting with the arial view of San Jose,

and ending with the Caribbean Sea.

We still had another leg of our journey, because you can only get to Tortuguero by boat. No cars or buses are allowed on what is essentially a sand bar and yep, I bumped my head yet again climbing into the boat.

We had just enough time to watch a short video about the efforts to save turtles from extinction and walk into town before we checked into our lodge.

Where did our group end up? In a bar, overlooking the river, of course.

Malo told us that Tortuguero’s nickname is “the little Amazon” because of the abundance of wildlife along the river. That was also the case by our lodge’s pool. For those of us willing to get up early, (Jolene and me) Malo offered to take us on an optional tour starting at 6 AM. Our reward? Rare footage of a spider monkey pooping,

and having the jungle (and pool area) all to ourselves.

Because weather has always been somewhat unpredictable in the tropics, and now even more so due to climate change, we were very grateful we were given ponchos for our morning cruise.

It’s impossible to show how hard the rain came down!

Despite the poncho, I still got soaked, but the wildlife we saw made the intermittent showers inconsequential.

Tonight is our last night at the Pachira Lodge. Our return to San Jose is first by boat, then by bus. We spend the night in San Jose and fly home the next morning.

My last afternoon in this paradise was spent by the river, with a tropical drink, catching up with some of the important people in my life and writing this post. The perfect ending to a wonderful trip!

Next adventure, Antarctica in February.

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Up until day 7 and 8, we had been incredibly lucky. Although it rained periodically, it seemed to happen only when we were on the bus, in a restaurant, or back in the hotel. Until La Fortuna. That was where our fortunes changed.

It was impossible to see the Arenal Volcano during our morning hike,

but I took pictures when Mike, Augusta and I were here in February of 2007. Back then, it was quite active. We were even able to see the bright red lava flows at night from our hotel room.

When we walked in the National Park, it was raining so hard, even my underwear was soaked, despite wearing a rain jacket. These days, if it’s not fun, I ain’t doing it, so halfway through the hike, 5 of us returned to the bus.

Marianne got creative. She took a black plastic shopping bag and with Edwin’s help, made holes in the sides so she could stick her arms through to keep her red jacket dry.

Those of us who chose to forgo the hike DID get to see Lake Arenal from the bus as we were leaving the park. Sorta.

Here’s the 2007 view.

Some brave souls decided to go zip lining despite the rain. Having ziplined twice before, I opted to return to the hotel. Had I known about the Tarzan swing, I might have made a different decision. But probably not.

Les, on the zip line.

Marianne, channeling her inner Tarzan. Jane??

Costa Rica has micro climates, so although it was pouring a few miles away, it wasn’t raining at our hotel. I walked the grounds, where I discovered multiple private hot tubs. Oh, to be with that special someone on a sunny day!

On our second day in La Fortuna, we cruised the Rio Frio, to search for wildlife.

I briefly regretted not bringing my camera, but I was very grateful for my binoculars.

Even with binoculars, it was NOT easy to spot the wildlife.

Were you able to find the “Jesus Christ” lizard in the first photo? For the second photo, I used my phone’s zoom, which is clearly not as powerful as my camera’s.

Why Jesus Christ lizard? Because the basilisk lizard (official name) looks as if he can walk (run) across water.

Check out the difference in quality of these monkey photos. The first was taken with a phone, (by one of the other travelers); the second is from the 2007 trip with my Panasonic LUMIX, way before cellphones had cameras.

Our guide posted photos of the birds we saw in WhatsApp. Of all the birds we observed, the kingfisher was my favorite.

Before our cruise ended, we made it to the Costa Rica/ Nicaragua border, where Malo took this photo of our wonderful group.

My very favorite highlight of our time in La Fortuna was our dinner at Selva Rustica. Raul, our bus driver, offered to take us to and from the restaurant, which was a very good thing because it was raining heavily ALL evening.

We all agreed that this was the best meal of the entire trip, so far. Sorry, Malo. From now on, we are going with Raul’s restaurant recommendations. Although we each ordered something different, we were all very happy with our choices. My grilled tuna atop vegetables and potatoes was heavenly.

Have you ever had a flaming margarita? With a blue Jell-O shot in the bottom of the glass? Neither had I. This was definitely a video worthy experience. Thanks to Phil for capturing the moment.

Next stop, Guanacaste.

Aguas Zarcas, Costa Rica

As you can see from the map, we are traveling throughout Costa Rica during OAT’s Pura Vida tour.

This means we need to move from one place to another every two days.

On day 5, we departed from Sarapiqui after lunch, which gave us time in the morning to visit Tirimbina, and walk across its quarter mile suspension bridge over the Sarapiqui River.

TWICE. Over and back.

I have to tell you, the shaking and swaying reminded me of car rides during my childhood. Even without all the smoke from my parents’ cigarettes, that continual motion almost made me feel carsick! But was I glad I did it? Hell yes.

After our stroll, we had free time until lunch, so I plopped myself in the “bird” area to enjoy the wildlife.

This gray cowled wood rail was HUGE, and unafraid. He stared right at me in between bites of papaya. He was probably thinking “ if she even tries to bother me, I’ll just peck her eyes out”.

Were you impressed that I knew the name of the bird? Don’t be. I sent that photo to Malo, who identified it for me.

During lunch, we were all grateful to be under the roof watching the torrential rainfall. How lucky were we that we weren’t rafting during the downpour. Yes, I know we were already soaked, but at least the sun was out, so we had a warm respite between rapids.

Our lodge in Sarapiqui was full of signs, but this one was my favorite:

Our next hotel, in Aguas Zarcas, had multiple pools, supposedly at different temperatures, but they all felt lukewarm to me. Still, it sure was pretty at night.

On day 6, Malo led us on an optional tour of the property, where the non-Florida natives were thrilled to watch this heron check out a potential tilapia breakfast. He looked like a human, staring into a lobster tank, trying to choose one for dinner.

This was a very educational walk. We learned that bats sleep rolled up in leaves like this one. How did Malo know? The bat makes three holes in the leaves— all in a row.

During our stay in Aguas Zarcas, we made two trips to the local grocery store—the first was on the way to the hotel, where I stocked up on wine. Hey, who knows if I’ll have another opportunity?

I know my friend Anthony is probably horrified by my choices. My criteria? It had to have a screw top. It’s times like this that I’m grateful for my unsophisticated palate.

Fortunately, we made a return trip to the grocery store the next day to buy ingredients for our home visit.

By then, I had washed my hair with the only option provided by the hotel. Let me assure you, the outcome was NOT attractive, so I was glad to have the chance to buy real shampoo.

One of OAT’S distinguishing features is the home visit, where we visit with a family, share a meal, and sometimes help prepare it. This was one of those times.

I opted for salad duty where I’m pleased to report I excelled at chopping lettuce.

As a bonus, our host’s daughter Natasha danced for us, with son Damien performing the role of DJ and boom box operator.

We ended our visit with a group photo.

Our final event was dinner in town, at a karaoke place. Sadly, the words never appeared on the screen, so we were unable to sing along.

Cynthia, Marianne, Lester, Randy, Cindy, Esther. Where was Edwin?

Me, Jo-Lynne, Mike, Joleen, Lee Fa, Phil. photo by Randy

Because dinners were not served together, and the food took a looong time to arrive, we all got a free drink. My friend Phil and I got to choose another drink because we were served last and didn’t get the barbecue ribs we had ordered. My margarita was delicious, as was the small drink we all received.

After “before dinner wine” (happy hour back at our hotel), a half a bottle of beer, a frozen mango margarita and the little “mystery” drink, I was feeling absolutely NO pain.

Jo-Lynne and I were ready to “party hearty”, but the rest of the group wanted to go to bed, so we were saved from embarrassing ourselves. At least so far. We still have another 10 days.

On to La Fortuna!

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